my wd elements hard drive has been randomly making some video files invisible with a padlock on them and when i click on them is says i cant access the file. So 1. why are my files dissapearing and 2 how do i unlock the padlocks.
thank you for any help in this regard.
Hi Quothorn!
Which OS are you using? This issue has been seen under Windows 7.
The padlock itself indicates that that file or folder can only be accessed by you and you're not sharing it with no one. The link below is a tutorial from this site to show you how to remove the lock icon in Windows 7:
Lock Icon on Files and Folders - Remove in Windows 7
I hope this has helped you!
Best of luck! :)
CK_WD
im using windows 7 home premium x64. any idea why the files are turning invisible? and why they are suddenly turning up locked. this is all happening by itself.
Hey again Quothorn.
As I mentioned above, the lock symbol means that the permissions on the files are set for your access only. The lock (padlock) icon appears for files/folders which are private, but located under a non-private directory. If a standard user tries to access the folder with a lock icon, they will get a popup that says “You don’t currently have permission to access this folder. Click Continue to permanently get access to this folder.”
To remove the padlock go to the link on this forum:
Lock Icon on Files and Folders - Remove in Windows 7
Go to Step 4, download the file, then skip to and follow steps 5 to 8.
Another option is to manually make the changes in Registry Editor:
1. Go to Start and type "regedit"
2. Go here: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ShellIconOverlayIdentifiers\SharingPrivate
3. Backup the 'SharingPrivate' registry key by exporting it. To export it, right click the SharingPrivate key, click Export and then save it somewhere as a file
4. Delete the SharingPrivate key
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with this key:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ShellIconOverlayIdentifiers\Shar ingPrivate
6. Restart the Explorer Shell safely by opening the Start menu, hold Ctrl and Shift and right-click on an empty space in the Start menu. The secret "Exit Explorer" context menu will appear, press Exit Explorer
You'll just need to be running as Administrator. And that's it, the padlocks should be removed.
Best of luck! :)
CK_WD
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